Facial Trauma

Facial trauma involves an injury to the skin or bones of the face and head (craniofacial skeleton). These acquired injuries can range from simple lacerations (cuts or tears in the skin or flesh) to open complex craniofacial fractures.

Pediatric plastic surgeons treat all types of trauma to the face, including fractures of the jaw, nose, cheekbones, eyes and skull. They also treat injuries to the soft tissue of the face resulting from lacerations, animal bites, burns and other accidents.

In some cases, children who have persistent facial deformities after facial injury can benefit from an evaluation by a craniofacial expert.

Diagnosis of Facial Trauma

Diagnosis of a traumatic facial injury includes identifying symptoms such as bruising, pain while chewing, vision problems, malocclusion (incorrect alignment of the teeth), breathing issues and loss of sensation.

In the case of a fracture, X-ray, computed tomography (CT) and other types of imaging help your child's doctor determine how severe the injury is.